ile, Madame Marve stirred up Nickie in his cage, and made him grin
and howl and caper for the edification of the crowd, whose souls his
street escapades had filled with awe.

Next day the papers contained an account of the excitement occasioned in
the city by the escape of a huge monkey from Thunder's Museum of Marvels,
and the Missing Link demanded an increase of salary and a double
allowance of beer, and got both, in view of his increased importance as
the greatest draw the show had ever known.

CHAPTER IX.

THE MISSING LINK PERFORMS IN THE PROVINCES.

AFTER taking to the show business, Nicholas Crips often complained of the
vicissitudes of an artistic career and threatened on many occasions to
resign his arduous role as the Missing Link, but despite his occasional
eccentric departures from the manners and customs of Missing Links,
Nickie had so far proved to be the most successful and profitable
man-monkey ever associated with the Professor's show, and Thunder was
determined not to lose him.

A bottle of beer, a good meal, and a season of repose, usually overcame
Nickie's reluctance to continue his splendid impersonation. Besides, the
easy Bohemian life was taking hold of him, and the actor's morbid love of
applause had already planted itself in his breast.

Matty Cann, the bone man, was the most respectable and melancholy freak
in the museum, but his melancholy was not native to him, it sprang from
the cravings of appetite doomed to dissatisfaction--he had his brighter
moments.

"I ken put up with always bein' like er specimei iv er Indian famine," he
said, confiding in Mahdi the Missing Link, through the bars of the latter
cage, "knowing the missus and the kids has plenty. You noticed 'ow fat
Jane was when she brought the fam'ly t' see the show the other day? Well,
I give you my word, the wife was thin enough t' take on this billet
'erself when the Perfesser engaged me."

Nickie's sentimental side was quite stirred by the affection existing
between Bonypart and his small family, and the anguish of Jane and the
kiddies at parting with Matty when the show was on the eve of starting on
a provincial tour so wrought upon him that he shed two large tears down
his Simian cheeks, and handed a shilling to Mat, the fat baby.

The show opened at Bunkers, a small Gippsland town. The Museum of Marvels
was conveyed in a two-horse caravan, and was displayed in a small circus
tent, Mahdi's cage, as usual, being throw